Boston Comic Con’s Journey To FanExpo Boston is Not Without Growing Pains at FORCES OF GEEK

This year’s FanExpo Boston takeover of Boston Comic Con came with not only a change of venue, but an entirely different experience for BostonCon fans. The change in venue from Seaport World Trade Center to the much larger Boston Convention and Exhibition Center was a welcome to accommodate more fans. It did seem a bit odd that Fan Expo had nearly an entire room dedicated to a line queue when some vendors and artist alley tables were on top of each other with not much room for people to ‘squeak by’.

I’m familiar with well-run conventions in the same space, most notably PAX East, so I don’t think my overall iffy experience at FanExpo was a unique one. First time convention volunteers and ushers gave wrong or poor information. The Guidebook App was difficult to track down. Signage was messed at a major floor entryway that said EXIT. Instead of fixing the sign on day 2, they just posted two guards there to send people in the opposite direction.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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NYCC Report: DC Entertainment ‘Meet The Publisher’s’ Panel - at Forces of Geek

img_4879For answers to the many questions Rebirth leaves the fans with, we headed to “Meet The Publishers” panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday afternoon.

The packed room full of Damian Waynes, Reys and our favorite, an older gentleman dressed as Wonder Woman, munching on some Kettle Korn.

DC Entertainment’s co-publishers, Dan DiDio and Jim Lee opened with the usual jokes and self-congratulation for the Rebirth line.  Among the tidbits mentioned during the presentation:

  • Dan admitted that last year’s lukewarm NYCC panel reaction was partly the catalyst for the line wideRebirth change.
  • Respect for legacy and character relationships were two of the other main reasons for the change.
  • 14 million Rebirth books have shipped, and the numbers were strong for Wave 1.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

TOP 5 E3 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TRAILERS FROM YESTERDAY - DO617.com

TOP 5 E3 announcements and trailers from yesterday. 


 

 

Microsoft’s E3 is this week and last night’s preview trailers have us throwing money at our laptop screens waiting for the next iterations of console games.

 

TWITTER: @E3

 

Here are 5 things we are looking forward to the most, and that’s only Day 1!

 

SPIDER-MAN PS4


Insomniac’s new Spider-Man game for PS4 looks like the best web-slingin’ action that we haven’t seen since Web of Shadows.

 

What’s going on with Peter’s white spider though? Hopefully his costume will be skinnable in DLC. Better or worse than what the CEO of Parker Industries is wearing on his chest currently, a glowing monstrosity! 

[READ MORE AT DO617.com]

 

 


#SPIDERMANPS4

 

 

 

SKYRIM SPECIAL EDITION


Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim gets a re-render for modern consoles with Skyrim Special Edition on PS4/PC/XBOX ONE.

 

 

 

 

STAR TREK: BRIDGE CREW VR


Nothing will bring you more joy than watching Geordi (Levar Burton) and Bones (Karl Urban) command a starship from the bridge in virtual reality. That is until you get to do it yourself!

 

 

 

 

 

Cosmic Treadmill: IDW & HASBRO AT NEW YORK COMIC CON 2014 at FORCES OF GEEK

You’ll see all the news this week about NYCC beating out SDCC this week in attendance, so it’s notable that I got my ass to the Con on a Yo! Bus for four days of bumping into fans, dizzying cosplay and one heck of a good time. For an early evening panel after spending my whole day traveling, the seats at the Javits Center welcomed us for one of my favorite publishers.

We took a look at the popular licensed properties held by IDW from the IDW & Hasbro: Transformers, Ponies & More panel at New York Comic Con, Day 1 - Thursday, October 9 2014 at 6:15pm.


My only question is, why did my favorite book for life - G.I. Joe get relegated to peeling potato duty. I mean, “ & More”?

That’s a bit insulting to our nation’s Special Mission Force!

But Senior Editor John Barber and Mike Costa made up for it — by announcing Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra, the next installment in the Cobra Files seasons. 

Plus, some more “Truly Outrageous” announcements, nearly missed by the regular Friday through Sunday Con visitors!

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

 

 

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EARTH PRIME TIME: DMC GRAPHIC NOVEL AT BOSTON COMIC CON

DMC_web

 

Continuing our preview of Boston Comic Con and this weekend (starting today!), Earth Prime Time cracked the tape on the mylar bag that is this column to share with you big news for comics and hip hop. Darryl “DMC” McDaniels will be previewing the October release of DMC Graphic Novel #1 at Boston’s ever expanding convention. Dig comic guy and Adidas fan Clay N. Ferno moderates the Darryl Makes Comics panel on Saturday in the Amphitheater at 4pm.

Available exclusively at #BostonCon is an issue #0 of DMC with a Boston Comic Con convention ‘variant’ cover. These are typically the hottest items at a show of any size, but when you cram an already iconic logo with DMC sandwiched between two red bars, you have the most recognizable symbol in hip hop. Comic artist and convention guest Koi Pham (Daredevil, Avengers, Scarlet Spider) apes Steranko’s 1968 Incredible Hulk Special #1 with a new hero about to be squished like Atlas. It’s DMC with Godfather hat, fat gold chain and Ultra Goliath shades! Only 100 will be available!
DMC_CoverTemplate_B&W

One of the interior art teams — MadTwiinz Mike and Mark Davis — with be joining DMC at the panel Saturday. These dudes have worked on a ton of animation you’ve seen before, Boondocks, Black Dynamite and How To Train Your Dragon:Riders of Berk. I can’t say much about the pages secretly slipped out of a gatefold for me to peep, but I can use words like ‘dynamic’, ‘colorful’, ‘fun’ and dope!

The book, now available for Diamond pre-order (JUL141175) is set place in an alternate 1980s. In this history, instead of rocking a mic and becoming a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, dude takes his knuckle rings to the streets…to mete out justice!

What we’ve seen so far is fun street level superhero action, like Marvel heroes Daredevil and Luke Cage. You might ask yourself what it’s like to be a superhero. DMC made himself one and it’s awesome. With nods to the New York City run by Ed Koch that birthed hip hop legends DMC with Wild-Style graffiti and turnstile jumping this truly is a different comic story and one worth reading.

Launching a comic in this market is hard, we know, we’ve done it. But launching a whole new publishing imprint is even harder. That’s what (D)arryl (M)akes (C)omics is, an imprint. We’re thinking that what we’ve seen in these pages combined with one of the rap’s pioneer’s singular vision of a comic book company could be great for the industry. Recent books by Ghostface and MF Grimm have done well to pave the way for these three stripes to be kickin’ the comic market straight in the teeth.

 

 

BOSTON COMIC CON. SEAPORT WORLD TRADE CENTER, 200 SEAPORT BLVD., BOSTON. FRI 8.8 – SUN 8.11. FOR FULL EVENT DETAILS VISIT BOSTONCOMICCON.COM

DMC (of RUN DMC) – DARRYL MAKES COMICS PANEL W/ CLAY N. FERNO. AMPITHEATER AT BOSTON COMIC CON. SAT 8.9 AT 4PM.

LEAGUE PODCAST IS AT BOSTON COMIC CON BOOTH W3

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

 

 

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FOTOBOM: EARTH PRIME TIME @ SUPER MEGAFEST 2013

Yo Joe! Getting throttled by the drill Sergent of my childhood, Sgt. Slaughter, just minutes after meeting fellow Arashikage Clan Member Snake-Eyes Ray Park so that we can team up with Scarlett to take on the Baroness and some Cobra troopers before hoping in the TARDIS to escape the Daleks was not another pumpkin coffee induced daydream.


This happened IRL this past weekend at Supermega Fest in Framingham. As Con Season draws to a close and we will soon stop buying expensive variant action figures for ourselves so we treated ourselves to one last nerdout with cosplayers, comic and toy vendors, TV stars, Ron Jeremy, Christopher Lloyd and so much more at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel this past weekend. As a firstimer to Supermega, I recommend the trip next year to not just comic fans, but pop culture fans in general.

First impressions are that this is slightly more schizophrenic show than the previous cons we have attended this year, and less of a comic book focus. Also, the format seems to be crammed into the Sheraton in Framingham, leaving vendors to set up in hallways off of the main ballroom and signing area. Not that that is a complaint, it makes for more creative ways to adhere to the Prime Directive:

Keep Moving, And Get Out Of The Way.

keep-moving-and-get-out-of-the-way-8

Comic artists were there, including our friend Jamal Igle, who is hard at work telling everyone about his all ages young heroine, Molly Danger.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

 

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EARTH PRIME TIME: RHODE ISLAND COMIC CON

 

We could all use another convention, right? Maybe you didn’t have a whole weekend to spend in New York City for one of the two largest shows in the world! Or maybe you had an awesome time at the Boston Comic Con and, like many, feel they deserve more convention-ing this year because, obviously! This weekend, travel south for the biggest show in the smallest state, Rhode Island Comic Con on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3. Here is what we are looking forward to this weekend.

 

Last November, the day my MacBook (white, 2007, RIP) literally up and died after Q from Star Trek touched it (a connection) we took in our first Rhode Island Comic Con. We met Xander, had an intimate panel experience with Thor mastermind Walter Simonson hosted by Forces of Geek’sStefan Blitz, and delighted in the autumnal vibes of Downtown Providence over a deep dish pizza. This Saturday I aim to recreate those good vibes and see what RICC 2013 has to offer.

Like many conventions these days, the celebrity appearances often trump any comic news or artists appearing at the convention.

This convention is no exception. Last year we had the Batmobile from Batman ’66, this year, Batman himself Adam West (and Family Guy mayor of Quohog, RI) with faithful sidekick Robin Burt Ward are scheduled to appear. That’s not all, Bat-fans! Rounding out an almost unprecedented reunion of sorts is Catwoman Julie Newmar, who will knock you out with her cat-claws. Now that DC Comics is publishing a Batman ’66 series, I’m sure these stars will be signing a lot of comics with their likenesses this weekend–perhaps for the first time! Saturday, Stefan hosts a Bat-panel from 3pm-4:30pm in Room A.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

 

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Cosmic Treadmill: CODE MONEY SAVE WORLD NYCC Panel With Greg Pak and Jonathan Coulton

College friends Grek Pak (Action Comics, Planet Hulk, Eternal Warrior) and Internet famous musician Jonathan Coulton held a panel at New York Comic Con to explain to the world that needs saving about the wildly successful Kickstarter comic based on ten of JoCo’s most popular songs, themes and lyrical insanity.

As so many legends go these days, “It all started with a tweet”.

 

Issue #1 of Code Monkey Save World  (MonkeyBrain Comics) is available on ComiXology on Wednesday, October 16. 


Greg Pak stood at the panel with sculptor and comic book artist Sean Chen, JoCo’s assistant Drew Westphal aka Scarface and Jonathan Coulton to his left. Upcoming covers for the debut four issues of Code Monkey Save World were revealed to an audience of JoCo and Greg Pak fans. The amazingly talented series artist Takeshi Miyazawa (Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane) was not in attendance

 [READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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NYCC - VALIANT COMICS Panel Report


Convention Report by Clay N Ferno

 


Valiant Comics remains committed to their rabid fans with a series of announcements tied to top industry talent and is expanding on the current Valiant Universe with new titles and crossovers in 2014.

Valiant Comics Director of Marketing Hunter Gorinson introduced an impressive series of panelists including Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Matt Kindt, Clayton Henry, Dinesh Shamdasani, Alejandro Arbona, ChrisCross and more at the Must Read Valiant panel on Saturday.

The panel starts off with the reveal to the pre-con teaser about the return of “The (Original) World’s Worst Supehero Team”.

The lead off announcement is that series creators Christopher Priest and M.D. Bright are returning to Quantum and Woody for a limited series set in the original Valiant Universe. No plans on expanding on the original universe beyond this series, we’re told, this is a special exception to reunite the team.


Starting in issue #5, fan favorite Mara artist Ming Doyle joins James Asmus on the current Quantum and Woodytitle, introducing the goat! 

 

 

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NYCC - BATMAN PANEL Report at FORCES OF GEE

 

 


For those not in attendance or watching the live stream, yesterday’s Batpanel was chock full of Spoilers (see what we did there?), updates, praise for fan enthusiasm and announcements.

John Cunningham (VP Marketing, DC Comics) introduced an all star family of writers including Batman: Eternal showrunner Scott Snyder and the artist Greg Capullo to a room full of eager fans and classic Jokers at the Javitz Center.  Introduced were James Tynion IV, Marc Andreyko, Ann Nocenti, John Layman and Peter Tomasi.

Cunningham started off by thanking all for supporting the books but also for supporting the We Can Be Heroes fundraising campaign, raising more that $2 million last year. He also announced a new video podcast from DC, DC All Access, which will show an insider’s view into the DC offices and announce upcoming projects.

First up, Bat-wise was the introduction of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to talk about current Zero Year issues and what we can expect in the days to come. The 64 page introduction of the New 52 origin hit shelves earlier this week, and Capullo’s redesigned Batman costume debut is an outstanding reference to Detective Comics #27.

Snyder admits that initially he wanted to keep all aspects of Batman: Year One as the origin story for Batman, but later fretted that with the changes of the New 52, Year One doesn’t exactly fit. Both Scott and Greg have had high anxiety about delivering and changing the right Batman origin and are expressed gratitude for the fan’s enthusiasm for what they have done with the book.

Batman: Zero Year deliberately references all things Batman, including the aforementioned Detective Comics cover, Batman: The Animated Series and beats from Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One.

Issue #25 pages were revealed exclusively at the Con as well as the three part over arching chapters of Year Zero, to be spread in total over 11 issues. The three parts of the story are Secret City, Dark City and Wild City.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

 

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BOSTON COMIC CON NEWS ROUND-UP! at FORCES OF GEEK

BOSTON COMIC CON NEWS ROUND-UP!

Report by Stefan Blitz and Clay N Ferno

Rumor has it that Boston Comic Con doubled in size this past weekend, which comes to no surprise to the attendees who found themselves packed like sardines in a newer, larger venue, The World Seaport Convention Center.

Postponed from April following the Boston Marathon bombings, the 2013 Boston Comic Con has become a rarity among conventions, a show which primarily focuses on comics.  This year, there were several media guests including voice artist Billy WestThe Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden,True Blood’Kristen Bauer, and The Hobbit’s Aidan Turner and Dean O’Gorman.  But these guests were kept apart from the regular high profile comic guests who were mixed among the self publishers, artists and dealers.  Only cosplayer Yaya Han was mixed among the comic-centric guests who included the unquestionable star of the con, writer Scott Snyder, who’s name seemed to be mentioned every five minutes over the speakers (to be fair, you needed a ticket to Snyder’s table which was to eliminate the long lines a bit and try and stay a bit organized).

Among the guests were George Perez, Mike Mignola, Neal Adams, Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, Scott Snyder, Mark Bagley, Bill Willingham, Brian Azzarello, Nate Bellegarde, Buzz, Tony Daniel, Jim Calafiore, Howard Chaykin, Mike Choi, Ming Doyle, Joe Eisma, Agnes Garbowska, Michael Golden, Keron Grant, Paul Gulacy, Cully Hamner, Phil Jimenez, Dave Johnson, Barry Kitson, Aaron Lopresti, David Mack, Ed McGuinness, Terry Moore, Steve Niles, James O’Barr, David Petersen, Brandon Peterson, Joe Quinones, Khary Randolph, Tom Raney, Amy Reeder, Don Rosa, Craig Rousseau, Paul Ryan, Tim Sale, Alex Saviuk, Brian Stelfreeze, William Stout, Frank Tieri, Tim Townsend, Arthur Suydam, Dexter Vines, Anthony Del Col, Lee Weeks, Maris Wicks, Charles Paul Wilson III, Dean Yeagle, Chrissie Zullo, and hundreds more in the BCC Artist’s Alley.

One of the longest and steadiest lines throughout the weekend thanks mostly (although not entirely) to younger readers was for the Adventure Time team of Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb.  

Publishers IDW and Boom! were on hand, as were IDW Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall, Co-Publisher of DC Entertainment Dan DiDio, and DC Comics Art Director Mark Chiarello.

Forces of Geek’s Stefan Blitz and Clay N Ferno each moderated two panels and could be found walking the floor chatting it up with various guests.

Here’s some of the news that leaked out from the show.
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: BOSTON COMIC CON WITH NICK KANIEFF (PART 1)

Boston Comic Con has been rescheduled for this weekend, August 3-4, at The Seaport World Trade Center. Founder Nick Kanieff joins us for a two part interview about the challenges of moving this great independent comic book show and the incredible growth Boston Con has seen since its first years. The Boston comics community was looking forward to the show in April, and now are even more ready to get together this summer as a celebration of comic books and pop culture at the rescheduled date and venue.

 

DIGBOSTON: Can you tell me how you started running this show?
NICK KANIEFF: We had our first show in 2007. I had been a collector most of my life. I got to a point where I decided to sell my collection. I had some good friends that ran a comic book store, I asked them the best way to liquidate the collection, they suggested a combination of eBay and going to Cons and setting up as a vendor. There is a little show that’s been run here for 15 years. I set up there, was selling my comics and I noticed that it was a small show and the vendors were unhappy. It wasn’t what I remember as a kid. I remember there was an electricity in the air. It was crowded with people, it was colorful. It was a huge trading floor, it was a stock exchange with so much excitement. I started poking around, how come Boston doesn’t have a major comic book convention? No one could give me a good common sense answer to that question.

If I could start a show and bring back the magic, the allure, the electricity that I felt as a kid, then this thing can go through the roof.

I did just that. I started the show in 2007 at the Back Bay Events Center with 900 attendees. Three-four times the amount of the existing show, that had been there for 15 years.

The show has gone from 900 people to last year’s 10,000. We moved from Back Bay Events Center to The Hynes. Unfortunately, the Boston Marathon tragedy happened and we postponed and rescheduled to The Seaport. Our estimated attendance for 2013 is between 12-15,000 people.

It’s just gotten bigger and better and we are now nationally recognized and ranked and a show people come to from all over the country.

We’re putting Boston back on the map as a major city that has a major comic book convention for fans that deserve it. Boston deserves a well-run, big comic book convention. We’ve hopefully given that to them. My goal at the end of the day is to put on the best show that I can. The way I know that I’m successful is if the fans, the vendors, and the artists all walk away saying we had a great time, a lot of fun, we made some money and that was the best show I’ve ever been too.

I just want to make it bigger and bigger and better.

 

That’s great. I’ve been going since 2009, and each of the Cons keeps getting bigger and bigger — to the benefit of the Con. There was plenty of space, and lots of happy people last year. I have just as good a time at Boston as I do at New York.
That’s the barometer, when a fan like yourself says that, I know we are doing our job right.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

 

 

HEY…PART 2 is HERE!

SUN 8/4 HOMEBOY SANDMAN, @Mike_Eagle, @MegaRan @ChurchBoston #mm #hiphop @rockonconcerts

BLOGGERS: Weekend Picks Appreciated! Feel free to ask me any questions/requests. Thanks for your continued support.

THIS SUNDAY 8/4 (post-Boston Comic Con)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!
This Sunday at Church LEAGUE PODCAST in association with Rock On! Concerts presents THE DEAR HUNTER TOUR featuring Stone’s Throw artist HOMEBOY SANDMAN, OPEN MIKE EAGLE and RANDOM aka MEGA RAN with local talent Josh H.W., ELEMENTAL ZAZEN (with DRUMMER), newcomers CLINICAL and PRETENSILE.
NOTE: doors changed to 7:30PM

###

Homeboy Sandman’s new record All That I Hold Dear will be released August 6th. The 7-track joint was produced entirely by M Slago, who also produced this track “Easy Does It” featuring YC the Cynic & I Am Many. 
Sand will tour the US in August & September on The Dear Hunter Tour, with Open Mike Eagle and Random. Tour dates below. 
NEW: OPEN MIKE EAGLE 
A stand-out in Los Angeles hip-hop collective Project Blowed for almost a decade, Open Mike Eagle has spent the past nine years rapping and grinding hard. It’s paying off an he’s become the “it” indie-rapper of 2013.
Open Mike Eagle is Suddenly the Hottest Thing in Indie Rap” - LA WEEKLY 

OPEN MIKE EAGLE On WTF? WITH MARC MARON: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_406_-_mike_eagle
NEW: RANDOM (aka MEGA RAN) “Doubt Me” video - 
##

Sunday, August 4, 2013 

The Dear Hunter Tour with 

Homeboy Sandman (Stones Throw Records) - http:// www.stonesthrow.com/ homeboysandman/
Open Mike Eagle - http://mikeeagle.net/
Mega Ran (Capcom) - http://megaran.com/
H.W. - http:// longlivehw.bandcamp.com/
Elemental Zazen - https://www.facebook.com/ elementalzazen
Clinical - http://www.soundcloud.com/ clinicalmc
Pretensile
21+ 7:30pm doors
$10 Advance / $12 Day Of Show

[LeaguePodcast & RockOnConcerts Present!]

Tickets at http:// www.RockOnConcerts.com/
ON SALE NOW - http://ticketf.ly/18Wva1a 
http://is.gd/sandmanchurch
https://www.facebook.com/events/345904638870304/

Church (Church of Boston)
69 Kilmarnock St.
Boston, MA 02215
617.236.7600
http:// www.churchofboston.com/ index.html

‘THE DEAR HUNTER TOUR’

“Homeboy Sandman’s new record All That I Hold Dear will be released August 6th. The 7-track joint was produced entirely by M Slago, who also produced this track “Easy Does It” featuring YC the Cynic & I Am Many. “

https://soundcloud.com/ stonesthrow/ homeboy-sandman-easy-does-i t

********************

On the heels of the release of his critically acclaimed LP First of a Living Breed (Stones Throw) and in support of two new projects (Kool Herc Fertile Crescent EP and All that I Hold Dear LP, Stones Throw 2013), his national tour with Brother Ali (Rhymesayers Entertainment), and a headlining tour of Europe, Homeboy Sandman will headline a tour of the US this summer. Open Mike Eagle (Hellfyre Club, Fake Four Inc, Mush Records) and Random aka Mega Ran (officially licensed by Capcom) will support.

Sandman says of the tour, “The Dear Hunter Tour is in promotion of my latest Stones Throw release, ‘All That I Hold Dear.’ I’m blessed to join forces with two musicians also searching for substance, magic, brilliance, love, and truth. We’re going to find them too. When we do, we’re going to share them.”

Kool Herc Fertile Crescent EP (Stones Throw) vinyl/digital relase available now. 8-track release produced entirely by El RTNC (aka Rthentic). The record is an unapologetic homage to old school hip-hop in its bare-bones production, lyrical themes, cover art and even the title. With the blessing of DJ Kool Herc, one of the originators of hip-hop, Sandman pays respect to the pioneering DJ by proudly naming the release in his honor.

HOMEBOY SANDMAN

Homeboy Sandman is a musician. His genre is hip-hop. An emcee that prides himself on musical growth and evolution, he has adopted as his motto and creative mission statement, “Boy Sand like you’ve never seen him before. As usual.”

Before signing to Stones Throw he’d already been chosen as a coach on MTV’s MADE, featured in preeminent print hip-hop rags XXL and The Source, and perpetually championed on foremost online hubs. And since the signing, his accolades have extended beyond the realm of the hip hop specific. Rolling Stone has noted his “skill for wordplay that keeps you hooked.” NPR has highlighted his “artful, hysterical, disobedient hip-hop that you can dance to.” Pitchfork has straightforwardly dubbed him “one of the best pure lyricists around.”

OPEN MIKE EAGLE

“One of LA’s smartest young voices” says the LA Times…which the artist suspects, may just be a covert way of saying LA is dumb. “Open” Mike Eagle wouldn’t terribly mind, being born and raised in Chicago where the painful winters and his uppity grandparents kept him inside as a youth. He spent his formative years watching alternative music happen on MTV and hoping to one day be able to audition for the Native Tongues. As a young adult after graduating with a degree in Psychology, he did the next best thing and moved to Los Angeles,

joining the Project Blowed collective where he made music and toured with Busdriver, Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, Nocando and more. He’s also gained notoriety in the world of comedy by being invited by professional funny people (Paul F. Tompkins, Hannibal Buress, Matt Besser/UCB) to rap at their shows. He’d like to be rap’s Kurt Vonnegut

but recognizes that he’d first have to create something as iconic as the four-stroke illustration of an anus. He practices by releasing rap albums that delight, entertain, and confuse.

RANDOM aka MEGA RAN

If you put video games, the 80’s, hip-hop, soul music, jazz and standup comedy into a blender and hit “puree,” you’d have something close to The Random Experience.

The self-proclaimed “TeacherRapperHero” made waves by going way left of his backpack roots by combining 8-bit video game sounds and hard hitting hip-hop tracks, and has become a trailblazer in the budding genres of chiptune and nerd-rap. A Capcom cosign and admiration from the genre’s toughest critics has led to placements in TV, movies, university coursework, and of course, games.

Today, Random is no longer a teacher by title, but travels the world to entertain and educate through the gift of facemelting raps.

********************
H.W.

Boston rapper H.W. dumps his demons - By Martín Caballero | BOSTON GLOBE 

Last July, H.W. (short for “Hazardous Wastes”) released one of Boston hip-hop’s most literate, emotionally complex albums of the year in “Wall Papered Exit Wounds.” Delivered in the lyrically dense and raw personal style that has become his signature, the record quietly distinguished itself from the crowded local marketplace by vividly exposing its author’s titular emotional wounds for all to see, allowing listeners to eavesdrop on his internal struggle for peace of mind. It’s occasionally jarring and hardly uplifting stuff, but his gift for articulating pain is a rare one.
Yet there’s an important piece of context to note with “Exit Wounds”: The material was recorded six years ago, and the H.W. whose emotional turmoil fueled that record is not the same one who’ll be performing on June 5 at The Sinclair in Harvard Square.

“I hated that record,” H.W., born Josh DeCosta, says bluntly over a midday beer at a bar in Central Square. “The only reason I released it is because people told me it was good and I should put it out.”
Naturally, an intensely introspective album in which he struggles to find scraps of optimism within darkness would understandably be difficult to embrace in the same way that a detached listener might. But this isn’t his first release in that vein: “Exit Wounds” built on the foundation of 2009’s “A Year’s Worth of Worry,” where songs like “The End of the Line” established his reputation as a sensitive, emotional lyricist fueled by tumultuous romantic relationships that often ended in heartbreak. In 2013, that’s the reputation he’s working to change.

“It’s unbearable in a way,” says the Fall River native. “I was the guy who did songs about ex-girlfriends, and that’s all it was. And it got sickening being that person. It bothers me in the sense that there are so many more aspects of my personal life. If people talk to me they know that I’m not that person, I’m not that guy who goes home and cries every night and hates myself. I needed something to write about other than that.
‘In the studio I’m hyperly critical and constantly tweaking stuff, while on stage I don’t have enough time to think about it like that.

For someone whose creative output was so closely linked to his state of mind, shifting directions musically first necessitated a change in mentality.

“I based my worth on who I dated, and because of that every relationship was the end-all, be-all. So when those ended, it was devastating to the point that it destroyed by self-esteem. I eventually slowly realized that life doesn’t revolve around relationships. These girls, or these moments in time, as important as they may feel at the moment, are just that. It took a long time for me to understand what I cared about and how to write about what I cared about.”
“I’ve seen him grow and mature as a rapper and a performer drastically,” says longtime friend and DJ Emoh Bettah. “Most, if not all, of his earlier songs were about relationships gone sour or about friendships with ex-girlfriends, and I’d often joke with him about it but since then he’s been writing songs about other topics. His music may be too personal for some, but he does what he does well. All of his songs tell a story and he is just being himself, which is what I think people love about him.”

Yet for a rapper with a highly technical lyrical style and no shortage of things to say (“I think I’m way too personal in general, I’m just an over-sharer,” he admits), it’s surprising H.W.’s output isn’t more prodigious: case in point being the long gap between the recording and release of “Exit Wounds.” Rather than adhering to the modern rap marketing scheme of flooding the Internet with new material via social media in search of approval, he takes his work direct to live audiences.

“On stage, there’s something that clicks within me and I am the person who I am with my closest friends,” he says of his shows, which often find him performing unreleased or incomplete songs and interacting with the audience. “I love that feeling, maybe because it’s the sense of self-gratification that I’ve always sought from everything in life. In the studio I’m hyperly critical and constantly tweaking stuff, while on stage I don’t have enough time to think about it like that.”

That said, you’re more likely to hear H.W.’s musical evolution at an upcoming show before you can get it on iTunes. His next release will be the conceptual album “I Only Exist on the Internet,” targeted for late June release, which should show glimpses of the broader material he’s seeking to explore: topics like politics, environmental issues, and yes, maybe even a party jam. It’s not so much a rejection of the melancholic raps of the past, but an appreciation for their role in getting him to this new, more optimistic place in life and music.
“I’m not the best rapper ever,” he says. “I just would like to be able to display all aspects of myself. There are way more important things to talk about than my feelings on this one person I care about. The world is crumbling around me; there should be something else I’m able to share. A lot of this new album is about liking life, because I actually like life right now. ”
http:// longlivehw.bandcamp.com/

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Clay Fernald / Clay N. Ferno
M: +1 (617) 30-COMIC (google voice)
Check out our comic book podcast, LeaguePodcast.com
Check out my comic book culture column at DigBoston.com - EARTH PRIME TIME: DigBoston
Pop culture & comics at Forces of Geek

TRIPLE SHOT: ADVENTURE TIME #15, ULTIMATE COMICS: WOLVERINE #3, DAREDEVIL: END OF DAYS #7

Oh My Glob. Whatever! 

Triple Shot full of surprises and WTF moments, but not over at DC this week.  

Adventure Time flips the script as the princesses save Finn and Jake, we find out the secret of the Mothervine from Ultimate half-brother Quicksilver in the Ultimate Wolverine, and in the future we see someone else behind the devil horns in the penultimate issue of Daredevil: End of Days.

ADVENTURE TIME #15
WRITER: Ryan North
ART: Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb
Publication Date: April 18, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Boom! Studios
UPC: 84428400279001511
Buy it HERE

FREE SIGNING, in lieu of BOSTON COMIC CON panel on SUN. 4/21 at COMICAZI.

This is changed to a SIGNING at COMICOPIA!
#BOSTONSTRONG - Shelli Paroline (Adventure Time) x Braden Lamb (Adventure Time, Ice Age, Duck Tales)

FACEBOOK EVENT

Magic Man is such a butt. He thinks it’s cool to crash Princess Bubblegum’s Princess High Tea Party with his Magic.

Meanwhile, outside Jake and Finn wish they could get in but at least have the respect to honor the only rule—princesses only!

In an attempt to silence the rantings of our favorite purple princess, Lumpy Space Princess (LSP), Magic Man casts a spell to silence her!

We could have used like, a few more panels of like, LSP calling her friend Melissa who by glob just needs to hear about this lumping party, but Jake wearing Finn as a suit dives like James Brady to stop the spell.

This saves the princesses’ voice but Finn and Jake fall silent!

The boys are able to communicate using pictures in their speech balloons, a technique only possible in comic books! Much like the recent A Glitch is A Glitch episodeAT continues to effortlessly push boundaries of all mediums. Fans of the show should be all over this book!

Our video game pal BMO is able to communicate with the boys because he is the best at emoticons. After some sammiches, they meet up with the Action Hero princesses defeat Magic Man! Princess Bubblegum has the plan to recover their voices and it totally works!

The Princesses get to save Finn and Jake for a change and LSP is among the heroes!

Don’t skip the Downton Abbey referencing 8 page BMO backup story by Jeremy Sorese. BMO’s memory banks are full, but Princess Bubblegum and Peppermint Butler have a crash plan to recover BMO from defensive mode!


 


ULTIMATE COMICS: WOLVERINE #3 (of 4)
WRITER: Cullen Bunn
ART: David Messina
Publication Date: April 17, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607887500311
Buy it HERE

Jimmy Hudson (Ultimate X) has family secrets. Many family secrets. Raised by adoptive parents James and Heather Hudson he is on a mission to find out more about his past. His biological father is Wolverine, who died by the hands of Magneto in Ultimatum.

The story is told half in flashbacks with Logan as the star. The previous Ultimate X storyline had me a bit interested, mostly because we had just gotten through Ultimatum and legend Art Adams was on art duties. I fell off after a few issues.

This mini-series written by Cullen Bunn caught my eye because I am a fan of Cullen’s work onVenom. The man can write thoughtful stories that are full of action and cool plot points. The subplots here and the flashbacks are on par with the pacing and storytelling of the Venom book and there are always great cliffhangers at the end.

Many years ago Logan is investigating Project: Mothervine, a secret government project to produce mutants, when he meets The Witch, Magda Lensherr. Magda was at one point married to Magneto, and they sired creep Quicksilver and his sister Wanda (Scarlet Witch). After Logan and Magda hook up, it is revealed that she is Jimmy’s biological mother. Meaning, if you follow the genealogy strings that Jimmy and Quicksilver are the not only brothers, but the only surviving members of the family.

The end of the issue leaves Jimmy and mutant travel companion Black Box imprisoned in an undisclosed Quicksilver jail. They plot their escape and overthrow of Pietro. Next issue will be the last of the mini, and we are rooting for our new Ultimate Wolverine to take on the strength of his father’s legacy to face the evil Lensherr as he rises as a powerful evil mutant.


DAREDEVIL: END OF DAYS #7 (of 8)
WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack
PENCILS: Klaus Janson
FINISHED ART: Bill Siekiewicz
COLORS: Matt Hollingsworth
Publication Date: April 17, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960606046700711
Buy it HERE

This is a future tale, a Dark Knight Returns for Daredevil written and drawn by creators who have had a long history with The Man Without Fear.
This is a true masterwork, years in the making, that delivers on so many levels with each issue. The collected edition of this book will be a recommendation for years to come as an example of how to tell a story.

Daredevil has been murdered, in the public eye, by Bullseye.

Matt speaks one final word, “Mapone”, and it is up to Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich to write the story of Daredevil and find out what Mapone might mean. Is it a name, a hideout, an enemy or a long lost son? We’re no closer to discovering the answer as issue #7 rolls around.

While visiting The Church of the Hand, Incorporated, Urich is telekinetically overtaken by Tanaka after inquiring about Mapone. Tanaka demands to see Ben’s notes and asks him what he knows about Daredevil’s trainer, Stick. Urich narrowly escapes, but is he unharmed?

Ben makes his way to an address he was tipped off about, and finds some information but only before being trailed by The Hand ninjas. 

A young Daredevil rescues Urich with the aid of The Punisher. In the fracas, Urich is struck by an arrow, and in a soon to be classic reveal, the new Daredevil unmasks and comforts the reporter.

We’ll be both sad and satisfied when this story is done. Bendis and Mack have included all of the rogues, most of the ladies and tropes of 49 years of continuity in this limited series set in the future.

Next April will be Daredevil’s 50th, and this collection will be a great way to commemorate that anniversary. Masters Janson and Sienkiewicz know the dark world of Hell’s Kitchen well, and rival only Frank Miller himself in drawing countless ninja on a page.

Well done, sirs. 

 [READ MORE at FORCESOFGEEK.COM]

 

 

4/20 LeaguePodcast 4th Annual Boston ComicCon After-Party at McGreevys

League Podcast Comic Con After-Party 4

League Podcast Comic Con After-Party 4

SAT. APRIL 20, 6-9PM
LEAGUEPODCAST 4TH ANNUAL BOSTON COMIC CON AFTER-PARTY.
MCGREEVY’S
VIP LOUNGE
911 BOYLSTON STREET
BOSTON MA (ACROSS FROM HYNES CONVENTION CENTER)
21+ FREE
WWW.MCGREEVYSBOSTON.COM

FACEBOOK EVENT

Chamillion Colors Facepainting (for a nominal fee)

LeaguePodcast and RockOn Concerts present: PAX-EAST POST-PARTIES 1.0 & 2.0

NIGHT 1.0

SAT 3/23/13
Hard Rock Cafe Boston

22-24 Clinton Street, Boston, Massachusetts

Mega Ran
Active Knowledge
Shane Hall
Gage
Weird Die Young

FACEBOOK EVENT

POST-PAX PAX AFTER PARTY 1.0
8pm Doors $10
21+ Event- Valid ID Required- No Exceptions


TICKET LINK
SHORT: http://ticketf.ly/XHzNGy

Twitter:
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http://www.twitter.com/rockonconcerts
http://www.twitter.com/activeknow
http://www.twitter.com/megaran
#nerdcore

EXTRA: TWO NIGHT PARTY PASS HERE

OR at MIDDLE EAST BOX OFFICE 2-8pm Daily - NO FEES!

 

SAT 3/23 Hard Rock: MEGARAN & ACTIVE KNOWLEDGE. Giveaways! & tix for !

________________________________________

NIGHT 2.0

SUN 3/24/13
Middle East Downstairs
480 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139

League Podcast & Rock On! Concerts Present:
The Protomen
MC Frontalot
Br1ght Pr1mate (Chiptune / Chipmusic / Futurepop)
The World is Square (SquareSoft/Enix VGM Folk Band)
All Ages $15
*NOTE: 7pm Doors
TIX - Facebook Event


- TWO NIGHT POST PAX PARTY PASS for $20 -
(Admission to 3/23 Hard Rock Cafe & 3/24 Middle East)
Here or at MIDDLE EAST BOX OFFICE (no fees!)!

CENTRAL SQ. MBTA
All Ages $15 *NOTE: 7pm Doors

EXTRA: TWO NIGHT PARTY PASS HERE

OR at MIDDLE EAST BOX OFFICE 2-8pm Daily - NO FEES!

SUN 3/24 Twitter stuff:

TICKETS: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3435104&REFID=mideastclubmm&pl=mideastrestaurant

Buy Hulk comics, graphic novels, and more at TFAW!

EARTH PRIME TIME: BOSTON COMIC-CON 2013 GUESTS ANNOUNCED

 

What better way to start off the year then to get excited about April’s Boston Comic Con? The lineup of guests was announced as we were struggling to get our shopping lists completed. Here’s who we are excited to see this year at one of the largest growing shows of the year. Plus, we get to party with the LeaguePodcast on Saturday, April 20 at an undisclosed but familiar location known for beers, costumes, and loud yelling.

Since expanding into the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s Back Bay, Boston Comic Con has prospered into one of the largest on the East Coast. You may not be aware, but we Bostonians love to brag about the place and can hardly contain ourselves when it comes to taking our out-of-state friends for a drive along our confusing roadways and rotaries. Boston has some great homegrown talent working in the comic book industry and this is the place to show off for all of the busy artists and writers coming here. This time the convention is set a month after PAX East and a week before many creators head to Chicago’s C2E2, so we are excited to have this many awesome creators under the Hynes roof this year.

Boston Comic Con is Saturday, April 20 and Sunday April 21, with passes available for single day admission or for the weekend.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

EARTH PRIME TIME: JOHN DE LANCIE ‘Q’ AND A – RHODE ISLAND COMIC CON [VIDEO]

John de LancieAs part of our obsessive completist series here at Earth Prime Time, we fill in the time gap from a computer-less week with coverage of the first annual Rhode Island Comic Con (November 3-4, 2012). I was asked to moderate my first panel at a comic book convention with actor John de Lancie, best known to Star Trek: The Next Generation fans as the mischievous villain Q and to Bronies as Discord in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
 

Fortunately for all involved, right before the panel, Forces Of Geek editor-in-chief Stefan Blitzinformed me that my ‘moderation’ was now to be downgraded to ‘introducing John and sitting next to him’. John is an engaging speaker and has spoken to hundreds of audiences in his time. He didn’t need my help up there. Self-doubt and nervous energy had already pervaded my senses just as the 11AM Red Bull started taking effect.

Somehow, I just knew that my 12 plus hours of Netflix ‘research’ and my 10 questions for an actor of John’s caliber were not good enough.

Well, not good enough in comparison to the questions his die-hard fans would have for him. I was still busy revising my queries on I-95 just minutes before.

I was showered, caffeinated and a strange combination of unprepared and over prepared.

In the panel room we delayed the start of the talk to allow more people an opportunity to get inside. The line outside was long as first-time convention volunteers attempted to process hundreds ofBrowncoats, Jedi, Finns and Fionnas. Day 1 of Rhode Island Comic Con was off to a slow start but there were already over 30 people here for John De Lancie’s panel. Snacking on a convention breakfast of leftover M&Ms, I broke out my 2007 White MacBook to take a final look at my questions. I was confronted by the gray Mac Screen of Death and Matrix digital rain. I’d seen it before. This was a gasp, a final plea from ol’ Lappy to for me to say ‘goodbye’ to her just one last time.

For some reason when it was time to go on to the dais, I brought her with me.

“Maybe Q can fix my computer”, I must have thought. Nay. No snapping of fingers could fix the logic board.

John did pick her up, though. Using her as a prop and coaster for his coffee was a right send off for the old bird.

Was I disappointed that I didn’t get to ask my all of my questions? The answer is unequivocally “No.” I got to sit back and listen to John with best seat in the house.

Below, please check out the full hour of John de Lancie (also Donald Margolis on Breaking Bad, Eugene Bradford on Days of Our Lives, Frank Simmons from Stargate: SG-1) discussing his craft, music, writing and his involvement with BronyCon: The Documentary.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

 

Walt Simonson and Stafan Blitz from Forces of Geek BY YOUR COMMANDBatmobileBatcycle